Operations Consulting, Associate Principal or Principal

Renaissance Strategic Advisors; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Renaissance Strategic Advisors, a fast-growing aerospace/defense/government services advisory firm, seeks Principals or Associate Principals to lead operations performance improvements. The role combines industry expertise in operations, engineering, and supply chain with consulting acumen across global clients and private equity sponsors.

Expect frequent travel (50-75%), strong leadership, data-driven problem solving, and collaboration with C-suite and investor teams.

Qualifications

• Interest in aerospace/defense/government sector with demonstrated knowledge
• Experience in operations improvement and due diligence
• Leading process-improvement initiatives with data-driven results
• Applying Lean Six Sigma to deliver measurable performance gains
• Strong written and verbal communication to varied audiences
• Sound business judgment and commercial awareness in evaluating performance
• Motivation and drive to deliver high-quality work on schedule
• Executive presence to work with senior client leadership and investors
• Strong project management to balance multiple priorities

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end operations performance improvement engagements for corporate A&D clients and portfolio companies
• Be the day-to-day face of the firm, owning scope, schedule, and deliverables with C-suite and investor stakeholders
• Direct engagement teams to diagnose issues and apply advanced analytics for practical solutions
• Set quality bar for deliverables and ensure findings land clearly with management and boards
• Drive business development by converting delivery into follow-on work and guiding proposals
• Provide internal leadership through apprenticeship, coaching, and feedback to junior staff
• Strengthen the firm’s operations methodologies and IP across engagements

Skills

Project management

Executive presence

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Education

MBA/MS/PhD or BS/BA in business/engineering/ops/supply chain

Tools

Lean Six Sigma

Job description

Operations Consulting, Associate Principal or Principal

Renaissance Strategic Advisors is a fast-growing advisory firm focused exclusively on the aerospace, defense, and government services sector. We provide strategy consulting and M&A advisory services to corporate clients and financial investors from our headquarters in Arlington, VA and offices in London, UK; Paris, France; and Melbourne, Australia. We are expanding our team in response to strong client demand, continued market growth, and the success of our offerings.

We are an 85-person industry specialist team that successfully competes with some of the largest firms in the advisory market. Across our work, our purpose is to bring confidence and clarity to our clients’ most consequential initiatives. Our distinct value proposition combines deep sector expertise, rigorous analysis, and a strong focus on client outcomes, delivered through a collaborative engagement model that builds trust and enables decisive action. We are a leading strategy consultant across our industry and have worked and continue to engage with executive management teams and investors on consequential value creation initiatives related to growth, M&A and performance improvement.

We foster a growth‑oriented culture that emphasizes apprenticeship and collaboration, a strong sense of team and family, and recognition of performance. Our colleagues come from diverse, multidisciplinary backgrounds, united by a shared passion for the aerospace and defense sector. Learn more about us: www.rsadvisors.com .

Who are we looking for?

As our operations advisory practice scales to meet sustained client demand, we are seeking Principals or Associate Principals who bring direct operations, engineering, and supply chain expertise to the aerospace, defense, and government sectors. The ideal candidate has developed that expertise through combination as an industry practitioner in operations, engineering, or supply chain function and as a consultant at a global or specialist advisory firm and is energized by solving complex operational challenges for corporate clients and financial sponsors. Because much of this work is delivered alongside clients at their sites, the role involves frequent domestic and international travel up to 50-75% of the time. Given frequency of onsite work, this position is open to candidates located anywhere in the U.S., provided they are within reasonable distance of a major airport for business travel. If desired by candidate, relocation to primary offices in Washington, DC or forthcoming Los Angeles location is available.

Successful applicants must demonstrate:

• A genuine interest in the aerospace, defense, and government sector, supported by relevant experience or demonstrated knowledge
• Enthusiasm for operations improvement, operational due diligence, and post-merger integration work across the value chain
• Experience leading process improvement initiatives and applying advanced data analysis to operational problems
• The ability to apply Lean Six Sigma principles and methodologies to identify and deliver measurable performance improvements
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the confidence to convey ideas and recommendations to audiences ranging from shop‑floor teams to senior executives
• Sound business judgment and commercial awareness when evaluating operational performance and
• Motivation, initiative, and the drive to deliver high-quality work on schedule in a fast‑paced, client‑facing
• The executive presence and interpersonal skills to work directly with senior client leadership and investor teams
• Strong project management skills, highly organized, and able to balance multiple priorities

Primary day‑to‑day responsibilities

• Lead one or more operations performance improvement engagements end to end for corporate A&D clients, private equity firms, and their portfolio companies
• Serve as the day‑to‑day face of the firm on engagements - owning scope, schedule, and deliverable quality while building trusted relationships with C-suite and investor stakeholders
• Direct engagement teams to diagnose clients' most consequential operational issues and apply advanced analytics and process expertise to develop practical, high‑impact solutions
• Set the quality bar for written deliverables, directing and editing the team's work so that findings and recommendations land clearly with management and boards
• Drive business development by converting strong delivery into follow‑on work, cultivating senior client relationships, and leading proposal development alongside the partner team
• Provide internal leadership through apprenticeship, coaching, and performance feedback to senior associates, associates, and analysts
• Steward and strengthen the firm's operations methodologies, tools, and intellectual property so lessons from each engagement compound across the practice

Preferred qualifications

• Prior experience at a top‑tier strategy and operations consulting firm, or a leading operations improvement advisory firm serving aerospace, defense, or industrial clients
• 10 to 15 years of performance improvement experience across manufacturing, supply chain, or
• Demonstrated record of leading initiatives with measurable results - EBITDA growth, manufacturing cost reduction, on-time delivery and schedule recovery, capacity and throughput expansion, supplier development, or procurement savings
• Proven ability to originate and win work, including leading proposal development for a management consulting or comparable advisory firm
• Advanced degree (MBA, MS, PhD) or undergraduate degree (BS, BA) in business administration, engineering, operations management, supply chain management or related field
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification, or equivalent depth of hands‑on operations
• Authorization to work in the U.S. without sponsorship, now and in the future